abi gezunt

"As long as you're healthy [you can be happy]."

aroisgevorfene gelt

"a waste of money"; lit., thrown out money.

azoy

So, thus

Is that so? Really?

So-so

balaboosta

1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker

berya

"Complimentary term for a talented, competent, energetic woman, especially one who gets a lot done - and does it well - around the house." (JPS Dictionary of Words)

bisl

"a little bit of something, a tiny piece" (JPS)

biz hundert un tsvantsik

[may you/he/she live] "until a hundred and twenty [years]" -- often used as a birthday wish for long life, or when mentioning a person who is getting on in years.

Borscht Belt

region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century

boychick

"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)

boydem

attic

broch

curse

broiges

angry, annoyed (adj.)

a dispute (n)

bubbale

sweetie, darling [term of endearment]

bubbe meise

"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)

"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition

bulvan

loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)

chazir

1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)

chrein

horseradish

chutzpahdik

impertinent

einikel

grandchild

erlech

honest, legitimate

religious

ess

Eat

farbissiner

adj. embittered, sullen, mean

n. sourpuss, mean person

farbrente

fiery, devout, fervent [lit. 'burning']

farmisht

mixed up, confused, crazy

feh!

an expression of disgust; "portraying...negative feelings" (Rosten)

fress

To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal" (JPS)

gantseh

entire, complete

geferlech

Dangerous, terrible

genug

enough

geschrei

yell, shout

geshmak

delicious, delightful

gevald

an interjection of alarm

gey avek

"Go away!"

gezunt

n. health

adj. healthy

golem

"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)

gonif

thief

gorgel

neck, throat (generally of poultry)

gurnisht

"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)

Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik

Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me

Stop annoying me

Don't bother me

handl

to bargain, do business

hazarai

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

treyf (non-kosher) food

junk food

hock

"to bother incessantly: ANNOY" (Weiser)

hoo-ha

hullabaloo, commotion

vagina

interjection of admiration or astonishment

kasha

buckwheat groats, commonly served with bowtie noodles ('kasha varnishkes'); porridge

keinehora

"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)

khnyok

a mean or bigoted person

a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou religious person

an unkempt or slovenly person

kinder

"children" (Rosten)

kishka

"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)

kochleffel

A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.

kuntz

peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)

strategy (Weiser)

feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity

kvell

feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)

kvetch

"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)

ligner

liar

linker

leftist, socialist, secularist

madrega

level, especially spiritual level

maidel

girl

mame-loshn

"mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish

mamzer

bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)

mayofes

a servile person (see note below)

mazume

"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)

"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).

mechuten

In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).

the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.

mechuteneste

the mother of one's child's spouse

mutche

harass, torment, bother, annoy, nag

(obsolete) to struggle financially

naches

"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)

nebach

interjection, adverb: "unfortunately"; noun: an unfortunate person

nebbish

noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)

noch

still, yet, moreover

ongeblozzen

puffed-up; haughty; conceited

pouting (can have a sense of about to cry)

ongepotchket

overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated.

"Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)

oy vey iz mir

woe is me

oysgeputst

dressed-up, decked out in finery (Steinmetz), overembellished.

patsh

a smack (playful)

to give a light slap

pekel

little bundle

pisk

(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)

Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)

mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.

prost

coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common

pupik

Navel, belly button

pushke

"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)

schlemiel

idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)

schlimazel

Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

schmegege

"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)

"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)

"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).

schmonzes

small pieces of valueless decorative bric-a-brac

idle talk

schnorrer

a begger, a parasite. "A moocher" (JPS)

shicker

tipsy/drunk

shlump

an unkempt person, a loser

shpatzir

literally 'to walk, take a stroll'; figuratively 'to delay, tarry, procrastinate'

shpilkes

nervous energy, anxiousness, restlessness. Lit. 'pins'

shtarker

a strong, stout fellow

thug

big shot, an arrogant person

tate

dad

tsedreyt

mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around

tsu gezunt

a response after another person sneezes (analogous to "bless you")

tumler

"A funmaker, a 'live wire,' a clown, a prankster, the 'life of the party." (Rosten)

yachna

a talkative or gossipy woman

"a female meddler or busybody" (Steinmetz)

yenevelt

the world to come, hereafter

a far away place

yold

fool, dupe

zaftig

pleasantly plump, buxom, lit. "juicy"

zei gezunt

be healthy, be well; farewell!

(humorous) a recommendation for greater sophistication or awareness: "get real"

zets

"A strong blow or punch" (Rosten)

"punch; bump; slam" (Steinmetz)

"A punch, a strong blow; a setback" (JPS)